When Evaluating Effectiveness of Marketing Initiatives, Don’t Stop at ROI

Alexandra Gaudin, senior digital content specialist, Ochsner Health

We were intrigued by the first two words of a presentation given by two marketing leaders from Ochsner Health at the 2021 Healthcare Internet Conference (HCIC): Beyond ROI.

Healthcare marketers have learned that provable ROI, or return on investment, helps them make the case for increased investment. But what’s beyond that? So much more, it turns out.

We followed up recently with the presenters, Ochsner Health marketers Amber Welch and Alexandra Gaudin, to learn more.

eHST: ROI is the holy grail that some marketers still haven’t gotten a handle on. What does it mean to go beyond ROI?

Gaudin: ROI is exactly that — the holy grail of marketers, and while we are huge proponents of proven ROI, we are champions of exploring what lies beyond this. Not just reporting for reporting’s sake, or to show basic performance, but looking past that to use your data for deeper implications: How are patient needs evolving? How is performance trending in line with system growth? What business opportunities can we uncover through our large stack of marketing and consumer data?

eHST: How does marketing data help you understand patients’ needs?

Welch: By looking at trends in online user behavior such as top keyword searches and most frequently visited pages, we can better understand our patients’ and potential patients’ needs and also uncover gaps in the online journey. Marketing data from ad campaigns, our website, business listings, and social media all play a big role in helping marketers understand patient interests, what they find to be the most engaging and what they need in each market at different points in time.

Read the full interview now:

Beyond ROI: How Can You Use Your Marketing Data to Understand Patient Needs, Support Operational Growth, and Inform Business Strategy?

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President